


Pack Animal

by subcircus



Series: Connections [1]
Category: The Sentinel, Wolf Lake
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-15
Updated: 2010-09-15
Packaged: 2017-10-11 20:58:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/117051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subcircus/pseuds/subcircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After they return from Peru, Blair begins dreaming of his spirit wolf. Is his guide trying to tell him something? And what does his long-lost father know? The truth could change Blair and Jim's lives forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU Season 4 for The Sentinel. Set before season 1 of Wolf Lake so no real knowledge of the show required.
> 
> Neither of these shows belong to me, clearly, because if they did they wouldn't have been axed. Any characters you recognise are not mine either, and probably the ones you don't too. Boo.

Blair awoke, sweat making his blankets cling to him, his heart pounding in his ears and his breath coming hard. He sat up and pushed his hair off his face as he heard the soft pad of Jim's footsteps down the stairs and his heart began to slow as he took in the warm and reassuring scent of his Sentinel.

 _Wait a minute, his scent?_ Blair thought, still confused by the dream. Before he could continue the thought, Jim entered the room, concern on his face.

"You okay, Chief? I heard your pulse increase…"

"Bad dream" Blair said, shaking his head. "But that's not what's got me freaked. A minute ago… this is crazy, but… I heard you coming, more to the point I could _smell_ you coming."

"Smell me?" Jim replied, sceptical. "Sandburg, you've only just woken up, you were probably still dreaming."

Blair considered the idea a moment, and was about to agree but then he made a realisation.

"Jim, did you turn on the light when you came in?"

"Sorry, Chief. Would you like me to?" he asked, hand reaching for the switch.

"No, wait. I can see. I mean clearly, like I've got the light on and I'm wearing my glasses," Blair answered, bringing his hand to his face to check he hadn't gone to sleep wearing them. Satisfied he hadn't, he looked about in wonder before looking to Jim; his thoughts racing with a million possible answers and theories. "Jim, can you sense me, as if… I mean do I feel any different to you?"

"You mean like another Sentinel?" Jim said and then shook his head without waiting for Blair to answer. "No, but I admit you do seem different somehow."

"I thought maybe some of your jaguar crossed to me when… well, you know," Blair trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. He knew that Jim still wasn't comfortable talking about the more mystical aspects of that day in the fountain. Attempting to make sense of things, Blair tried to recall the dream that had woken him in the first place. "Actually, you might not have been too far from the mark with that dream idea."

Blair shuffled over to make room for Jim, who perched on the end of the bed and looked at Blair expectantly. Blair ignored him for a moment, thinking over the remnants of his dream and considering their meaning.

"I was dreaming about the wolf, my spirit wolf. Only it was like when I died, like I was the wolf," he explained.

"And you think that you somehow still had a wolf's senses when you woke?" Jim suggested. Blair shrugged.

"Sounds kind of ridiculous when you put it like that," he said with a sheepish grin. Jim held his hand up in a gesture of surrender.

"When it comes to our spirit guides and dreams, I'm willing to accept just about any theory, chief," he said with a chuckle. He looked at the clock on the bedside table and then batted Blair's knee playfully. "Come on, it's nearly six. Might as well get up now," he said as he stood up.

Blair groaned and pulled the pillow over his head, so Jim, a wicked grin on his face, pulled the cover off Blair's feet and began to tickle them until Blair threw the pillow at him.

*-*

They'd been on stakeout for four hours now, and Blair was starting to get more and more uncomfortable. He began fidgeting in his seat, trying to stretch his limbs in the cab of Jim's truck. It was a big, old truck with plenty of room, especially for someone as short as Blair, but today it felt cramped and tiny. Blair was almost physically itching to get outside and just run around in the fresh air.

"What is with you today, Sandburg?" Jim demanded finally. "You got ants in your pants or something?"

Blair shook his head.

"Sorry, Jim. I just can't seem to settle today. Maybe it's still a remnant of that dream. I felt so free, just running in the woods, nobody there. It was amazing. Guess the truck feels kinda confined in comparison, you know?" Blair knew he was babbling a little, but he also knew that Jim was used to it by now and would only shush him if it was important. "I've never felt that connection to my wolf before, I've always thought of it as just a spirit guide, a representative of the Shaman, or the Guide; never really connected it with being me."

"I get that, chief; scared the hell out of me the first time I realised the jaguar was me, or my spirit anyway. I guess you have to try and fit all those pieces of yourself together. I don't know…" Jim stopped mid-sentence and Blair knew immediately why.

"Gunshot," he said, hand already on the handle of the door. Jim nodded and they got out and began running toward the building they'd been watching.

"How the hell did you hear that, Chief? It was silenced, I only just heard it," Jim said. Blair stopped for a second, confused, but he knew now was not the time to try and figure out what was going on. Instead, they continued forward; as they reached the door he wrinkled up his nose.

"Ugh, what is that smell? It's really sweet and metallic…"

"Blood," Jim said darkly. He gave Blair a scrutinising look before pulling his gun and heading into the building. "Stay behind me. And we'll discuss this later."

"Oh, you betcha."

*-*

Jim didn't know what was going on with Blair, but his Guide had him really worried. Sandburg had been acting a little strangely ever since that day in the fountain, but Jim had given him some latitude this past month or so. After all, it wasn't every day you came back from the dead. But this new stuff, with the dream and his senses, it was weird even by their standards.

Blair's theory had some merit; neither one of them fully understood the whole Sentinel/Guide/Shaman deal, or the consequences of sharing their spirits. There was certainly a mystical element to it all, even if Jim didn't want to admit it.

Blair didn't feel like another Sentinel to Jim, he still felt like his Guide, like Sandburg. But there was a new side to him, a more dangerous, almost predatory part that should have made Jim uneasy, but instead made him feel more comfortable. Was it possible that his wolf spirit was somehow becoming more dominant inside him?

On entering the warehouse they'd been staking out they discovered the owner lying dead on the floor. They both heard footsteps on the supposedly empty floor above them, and Blair had gone running out the room before Jim could stop him. With a grunt of frustration, he'd caught up to Blair, who'd stopped at the top of the stairs. Jim could hear a heartbeat just around the corner from them, beating fast. He silently passed his backup to Blair, who for once took it without argument and cocked it. Giving a nod of readiness, Blair looked to Jim for guidance, so Jim hand-signalled for him to fan right, while he took the left.

Thirty seconds later, the perp was on the ground with a bullet in his shoulder, not from Jim's gun, but from Blair's.

As Jim cuffed the suspect, Blair was staring at the gun in his hand as if he'd only just realised he was holding it. He mutely handed it back to Jim and once backup had arrived they returned to the precinct in silence. Once they were there and had given their statements, Blair muttered something about being tired and said he was heading home.

"Okay, chief. Give me a minute and I'll give you a ride."

"No thanks, Jim. I'd rather walk," he replied absently.

Jim watched him go, a cold knot in his stomach. He didn't know who it was that had pulled that trigger, but it sure didn't seem like Blair Sandburg.

*-*

Jim shoved his way into the apartment, banging the door loudly and making Blair jump. From his position on the floor, it looked like he'd been meditating.

"Sandburg, where have you been? I've been calling all afternoon," Jim said.

"Sorry, I turned the phone off. Needed some thinking time," Blair apologised as he shifted his position to allow Jim to sit on the couch before he blew out the candles that were placed on the coffee table.

"And? Any great insights?"

Blair sighed, ran his hand through his hair and then looked up at Jim.

"No. I've been testing my senses and they still seem to be heightened. But it's different from the way you've described things. You've always described a focus, a depth to your senses; but for me it's almost the opposite, it's like the breadth of information available to me has increased. I'm picking up scents and sounds from all around, and the scents have all these new layers to them. It's more like a dog or…"

"A wolf."

Blair stood up suddenly and began pacing the floor, so Jim moved to stand in front of him.

"I don't know what's happening to me, Jim. I shot that guy today without a second thought; it's making me question everything I've ever valued. And it scares the hell out of me," he said quietly, and Jim could see the tears at the corners of his eyes.

He pulled Blair into a hug and held him tight, stroking his hair.

"Sssh, we'll figure this out together, okay?" he said. He felt Blair nod against his chest and he smiled.

*-*

Jim awoke to the smell of a lit fire and freshly brewed coffee. It was their first weekend off in months but their planned fishing trip had been scuppered by heavy snowfall. Jim thought that a quiet weekend with a good book and his best friend for company could make an excellent substitute.

Still in his shorts, Jim padded down the stairs to get a cup of the coffee. He stopped at the foot of the stairs; Blair was kneeling by the fireplace, a stack of paper beside him.

"Morning, Chief, what're you doing?"

Blair turned and smiled at him in greeting.

"Morning. I've been thinking about what you were trying to say the other day, actually. About putting the pieces together? And you were right; I've been trying to juggle these four separate parts of me and something has to give," Blair explained, gesticulating in his usual enthusiastic manner.

"So, what gives?" Jim asked, amused. Blair indicated the stack beside him.

"I've decided that my priority needs to be my role as Guide and Shaman," he answered.

A little confused, Jim read the top page of the stack and realised with shock what it was and what Blair was about to do. He slowly began edging toward Sandburg in the manner he'd approach a jumper on a rooftop.

"Sandburg, burning your dissertation, that's a little extreme, don't you think?"

Blair shook his head and then picked up the top page, crumpled it into a ball and threw it on the fire. Jim stopped and stared at his friend.

"The Sentinel isn't a thing to be studied, poked, prodded. You're my friend, my partner. You've saved my life more times than I care to count…"

"Right back at you, Chief," Jim interjected, but Blair waved his hand dismissively.

"With everything that's happened it's made me realise what's important," he finished.

"Your research is important. What about your dissertation?"

"Ah, I've got a dozen others I could hand in tomorrow. I'll still get my doctorate."

"Then what about being my Guide? Simon won't let you continue to ride along anymore," Jim pointed out.

"I thought about that. I'm enrolling in the next Academy intake. Hopefully Simon can pull some strings to help fast track me to detective so I can be your real partner," Blair answered.

Jim grunted in frustration. It seemed Blair had every answer thought out.

"Okay, I don't want you to destroy it," he said. Blair looked at him in confusion. "I'm not thrilled about it being published in our lifetime, but I do think it's important that it is one day. If your thesis helps just one Sentinel who's out there alone and confused then it would be worth it. So please, don't burn your notes. Just lock them away somewhere, okay?" he pleaded.

Blair thought for a moment and then nodded; Jim sighed with relief. He didn't know what had triggered this impulse, but he was certain that eventually Blair would have regretted burning his notes and perhaps even resented Jim for it. Maybe that made his motives selfish, but Blair was right, they were friends and partners, and Jim didn't want to lose Blair, not again. He didn't like where that thought was going, so to distract himself he asked Blair about his senses.

"As far as I can tell, my sense of touch hasn't changed. Although, for some strange reason, I don't seem to feel the cold like I used to," Blair said as he got up and headed into the kitchen. He grabbed an elastic from the counter and scraped his hair into a ponytail, poured them both a cup of coffee and then began making bacon and eggs for two.

"You psychic too?" Jim asked with a grin. "I was just thinking about having that for breakfast."

Blair laughed as he cracked the eggs into the pan.

"Maybe it's a Shaman thing," he joked with a shrug. "Anyway, my sense of smell and my hearing seem as acute as yours, although my hearing does better in the ultrasonic ranges than the infrasonic. My eyesight is better than average, but not as good as yours on distance, I can only clearly see maybe a mile, but I think I may have better night vision. And…" Blair trailed off his rambling finally and Jim realised that he was embarrassed.

"What is it, Chief? Only thing makes you shy normally is a woman."

Blair poked his tongue out at Jim and then served up breakfast before passing Jim his plate. It wasn't until they were both seated at the table and eating that Blair spoke again.

"I think I can see infra-red and ultra-violet light," he said quietly.

At first Jim couldn't understand why that had him so nervous, but then he made the connection.

"So you really think this has something to do with your animal spirit?" he asked, careful to keep his tone gentle and neutral. He didn't want Blair to think he was mocking him about this.

"I keep having that same dream, and I can't think of any other explanation," Blair said.

Jim smiled reassuringly and laid a hand on Blair's across the table.

"Whatever the explanation, we'll figure it out and we'll adapt. We'll learn to handle your senses the same way we did mine. Together," he said firmly and looked Blair in the eyes to show his sincerity.

Blair returned the smile and then quickly dropped his head. He tried to cover the gesture by shovelling a fork of food into his mouth, but because of the discussion they'd just had Jim recognised it for what it was. Blair was being submissive to his pack Alpha.

"Hey," he said, making Blair look up again. Jim made eye contact again, but this time he leaned over the table and grabbed Blair's chin so he couldn't look away.

"Jim, man, what are you doing?" Blair asked with a nervous chuckle.

"None of that," Jim scolded gently. "We're partners. Equals."

Blair looked like he was going to protest, maybe pretend he didn't understand, but instead he just nodded. Jim let go of him and resumed eating his breakfast.

"I hope we figure this out soon. I feel like I'm going nuts," Blair muttered before he also resumed eating.


	2. Chapter 2

Blair sat outside the Dean of Faculty's office and nervously fiddled with the bound document on his lap.

A study of the societal structure of a police department as a microcosm of primitive culture was hardly the most original or dynamic subject matter, and it wasn't exactly the thesis Blair had been hoping to present. Still, he felt he'd made some valid arguments and backed them with enough evidence from the field. Besides, he couldn't conscionably publish his Sentinel paper now; he was definitely no longer an objective observer.

His new supervisor had been pleased enough with the finished paper, though perhaps that was simply relief that Blair had finally submitted _something_.

The whole terrible business with Brad Ventriss and his suspension had only served to convince Blair that he had made the right choice; it was time to leave academia. He didn't belong here anymore. He wasn't sure when the shift in his perception had happened, it was probably a gradual process, but he knew that he was more cop than anthropologist now.

 _God help me, I've gone native,_ he thought to himself with a grin.

The way he'd acted during the investigation into Ventriss had really scared Blair. He'd always had a temper, but he'd never let it get the best of him like that before. He was ready to tear Brad a new one when it looked like he was going to get away. Although on the positive side, he'd been able to harness that rage in order to get past his fear of heights and jump from the helicopter. Okay, so it had only been three feet to the water, but nobody needed to know that part.

But the depth of his anger and the violence that he'd considered had really scared him. He still had no clue what was causing these changes in him, but he really needed to get a handle on them before something happened that ruined his life forever. Like getting fired, for example.

Thankfully, Brad's arrest had led to Blair's name being cleared and Chancellor Edwards bending over backwards to make him happy, including granting him a change of topic. He'd quickly brought together his copious notes into a coherent dissertation that he'd handed in to his supervisor. Now he had to go before the peer review to present his paper, hopefully a formality, and after a few months for the wheels of academic administration to grind around he would receive his doctorate.

By which point he'd probably be a cop and wouldn't care anymore.

*-*

Blair had smelled Naomi's perfume a few seconds before she knocked on the door and one glance at Jim confirmed his partner had too. It had been nearly a month since his senses had become heightened and although they still had no explanation for them he was beginning to adapt to living with them. But in all the confusion he'd completely forgotten that his mother was coming for a visit.

"Crap," he muttered as he headed to the door. He heard Jim laugh from the couch and turned to glare at him before turning back and opening the door. "Mom!" he greeted her with a big grin.

Naomi breezed into the room and hugged Blair before moving past him and hugging Jim. With a shrug, Blair picked up her bag and shut the door.

"It's so good to see you both," she said as Blair carried her bag to his room.

He placed her bag on the floor and quickly tidied the place, changing the sheets and trying to stack his papers neatly. Grabbing a blanket for himself, he headed back out to the main room where Naomi was entertaining Jim with stories of her recent exploits.

"Oh, honey, I was just telling Jim that I'd run into..."

"Yeah, I heard, mom," Blair replied a little testily.

"Oh, sorry was I being too loud," Naomi asked, looking apologetically at Jim who smiled and shook his head.

"No, Naomi," Blair answered. "Sorry, look, I've been going through some stuff."

"I hear that," Naomi replied with a warm smile and patted the couch beside her. Blair smiled and sat down. "Honey, if it's not too conventional of me, I'm very proud that you've finished your thesis. Though I am a little surprised by the subject matter."

"Well, my first line of research was turning into a dead end," Blair replied with a significant look at Jim. He then turned his attention back to Naomi and she stared back into his eyes, her face suddenly full of maternal concern.

"Blair, honey, what's wrong?"

*-*

The wolf padded silently across the floor of the dark jungle but from his vantage point, the jaguar was able to monitor his progress with ease. As the wolf neared, the jaguar began slipping through the trees toward him, large paws gracefully bounding from branch to branch until he finally dropped to the ground a few feet in front of the wolf, stopping it in its tracks.

The two faced off for a moment, the wolf's hackles rising, but then it seemed to recognise the jaguar and came closer. With a whimper (of joy? affection?) he nuzzled into the jaguar, marking him with his scent.

Instead of ripping his throat out, the jaguar nuzzled back. Then the jaguar did pounce, but there was no intent to harm. Massive, silky paws flipped the wolf and began to nuzzle and lick at his soft underbelly.

With a bark (definitely pleasure this time) the wolf rolled back to his feet, knocking the bigger animal over and suddenly they were a tangle of limbs and fur. Just as suddenly, the fur was gone and Jim and Blair were rolling around naked on the jungle floor…

Jim sat upright in bed, heart pounding in his chest.

 _What the fuck?_ he thought. On instinct, he reached out to listen for the steady and reassuring rhythm of his sleeping Guide's heartbeat only to find that Sandburg was also awake, heart beating too loud and too fast.

Concerned, he got out of bed and began to go down the stairs, but he stopped when he saw Blair standing at the foot of them looking up at him.

Blair grinned sheepishly and gave a little wave. Jim still wasn't quite used to Blair having night-vision too, but it reminded him that he could speak quietly, even at this distance. Last thing he needed right now was to wake Naomi.

"What's up?" they both whispered simultaneously, causing Blair to snicker and Jim to grin.

"Weird dream," Sandburg replied at the same time Jim answered,

"Nightmare."

At Jim's answer, Blair looked at him oddly for a moment, almost hurt, and Jim briefly felt overwhelmingly guilty for no apparent reason. Then the moment ended and Jim indicated that Blair should come upstairs. He knew neither one of them would be able to get back to sleep unless Blair was able to talk about whatever was bothering him.

"It was strange. It was one of my wolf dreams, but this time your jaguar was there, watching me," Blair said as he reached the top. Jim nodded.

"And then they faced off, but instead of fighting they were being … friendly," Jim supplied awkwardly. His heart skipped as he realised that he and Blair had shared the dream. "And then…"

Blair gave him another of those odd looks before he spoke.

"And then I woke up."

Jim tried not to let his disappointment show, but he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. It didn't take a Sentinel to know that Sandburg was lying. Jim felt an idiot for even hoping that the shared dream might mean that Blair felt that way about him. The parade of women that had been through their apartment over the years should have been more than enough evidence of his heterosexuality.

Not that Jim went with guys as a rule, but his feelings were different with Sandburg, it wasn't a physical thing; correction, it wasn't _just_ a physical thing, there was much more to it than that.

"Yeah, I woke up too," he said feebly. Blair nodded once, clapped him on the shoulder and then returned downstairs.

Jim lay on his bed, but sleep didn't come back to him that night; instead he just lay there, filling his senses with Blair.

*-*

As soon as Jim said the dream was a nightmare, Blair knew where this was headed. Perhaps it was some dormant Guide instinct, but he just knew that they had shared the same dream, and that Jim had thought it a nightmare. It felt like he'd been kicked in the gut, but he really should have known that his feelings could never be reciprocated by the older man. Jim was straighter than straight, dyed in the wool ex-Ranger/cop. Besides, if Blair was serious about becoming Jim's partner for real then there could never be any fraternization between them.

Beyond a little college experimentation, Blair had only been with women, but he accepted that he loved Jim and it didn't matter to him what package that love came wrapped in. And because he loved him, Blair gave his Sentinel a get out of jail free card, which Jim gratefully took.

Disappointed, Blair returned downstairs to the couch but he couldn't go back to sleep. Instead he just lay there, filling his senses with Jim.

*-*

"Blair, there's something I need to tell you," Naomi said. Blair eyed the plate of tongue she was holding hungrily and took a slice before indicating she should continue. She placed it on the table and they both sat down. She sat there in silence for a moment and Blair realised with shock that she didn't know what to say. He'd never known Naomi to ever be lost for words.

"Mom, what is it?"

"I've been thinking about what you told me, about the dreams and your senses, and I think it's time I told you about your father," she said.

"My father? What's he got to do with any of this?" Blair asked, confused.

"I'm not sure, it might be nothing, but it might explain everything. I met him when I was on my way to Seattle and I stopped off in this little place called Wolf Lake. I stayed there about a month and had the most wild and amazing time with this great guy called Willard Cates. Nine months later, you were born," she explained.

Blair placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, fascinated. Naomi had never wanted to discuss the subject of his father before, and now she was just laying it all out for him. He'd always assumed she didn't really know who his father was, so it was quite a shock to hear the man's name. But he was completely confused as to how this could have anything to do with what was happening to him right now.

"That's really interesting, Naomi, and I'm glad you've finally told me, but I fail to see how connecting with my father is going to answer why my senses have gone into overdrive!" Blair said.

"I hear that. But I really think you should go to Wolf Lake. I think you'll find the answers you need there," Naomi replied and laid a hand over Blair's.

Blair was still confused, but Naomi was adamant. It looked like he was going to Wolf Lake.

*-*

"You don't have to waste your weekend with me," Blair protested as his Volvo sped along the highway as fast as its old engine could manage. Jim chuckled and examined the file he was holding.

"Are you kidding me? You're finally going to meet your father. No matter what happens, I want to be there for that," he said. "And I thought you'd appreciate the backup," he added. Blair smiled warmly.

"I do. I just figured you'd have better things to do."

"Nope. Now, it says here that Willard Cates is chairman of some local brewery and basically owns the entire town," Jim said, reading from the file.

"Not that I don't appreciate the info, but isn't that misappropriation of police resources?" Blair asked. Jim chuckled.

"Have to be some perks to the job," he replied.

They reached the town limits of Wolf Lake as the sun was setting; the waters of the lake glinted orange in the dying light and Blair had to pull over to gaze at it for a moment.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "I can see why Naomi liked this place so much."

They drove through the town and to the Cates family home, which was located at the top of a wooded hill that overlooked the lake. As Blair pulled up and parked outside, he couldn't help but let out an impressed whistle.

"Looks like we've both got rich fathers," he commented with a nervous chuckle.

Jim offered to stay in the car, let Blair have some time alone with his father first and Blair was grateful for that. He was also grateful to have his Sentinel so close at hand; he couldn't remember ever being so nervous.

Since discovering his new abilities, Blair had found himself relying on smell as his primary sense and the familiar scent of Jim Ellison was reassuring and calming.

He crossed the gravel drive up to the front door and took a big, deep breath. He was beyond nervous about meeting this man, but his curiosity about his father and the changes that were happening to him were getting the upper hand in the battle in his head.

"I've come this far," he muttered and rang the bell, although he could barely hear it over the thudding coming from his chest. He took in another deep breath, filling his nostrils with Jim's scent.

After a few moments, the door was opened by an attractive young woman.

"Good evening, I'm sorry to disturb you but I was hoping to speak with Willard Cates," he said. The woman regarded him intently for a moment.

"Dad, someone here to see you," she called before walking out the door, down the porch steps and jogging off into the woods leaving Blair standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Well that was odd," he said.

"If Cates is your father, then she's your half-sister. No wonder she's weird, Chief," Jim said from the car, making Blair grin. He turned and poked his tongue out before returning his attention to the house.

Shortly, a middle-aged man entered the hallway and approached the open door. Blair applied his patented make-friends-and-influence-people smile and held out his hand.

"Willard Cates? I'm really sorry to be bothering you sir, but I need to speak to you. My name's Blair Sandburg," he said. At the mention of his name the other man beamed and grabbed Blair's hand, pumping it enthusiastically before pulling him into a hug.

"Blair, my boy! It's a joy to finally meet you. Please, come inside," he said after he let go. He stepped aside to allow Blair entry, shut the door behind them and then guided Blair into the nearest room, which Blair took to be Cates' study.

He took a seat and asked Blair to do the same before he studied Blair in the same intense way the woman had done.

"That woman I just met; she's your daughter? My sister?" Blair asked, already really knowing the answer. Cates nodded.

"Ruby. You have a brother too, Luke. Well, half I suppose. But you're here! So, Naomi's finally come clean," Willard said, the broad smile still plastered to his face.

"Yeah," Blair said eloquently, his mind still processing the revelation that he had siblings. "Um, I had some questions that Naomi said you'd be able to answer."

Willard looked confused and sniffed, which only seemed to confuse him more. But the action excited Blair as it seemed to confirm Naomi's claim that Willard knew what was happening to him.

"You know, I'm not sure I do have all the answers, son. But I know someone who might, Let me make a call."

Blair nodded and Willard left the room. He knew it was rude of him, but Blair was too curious so he eavesdropped on the phone call. He heard Willard speak to a man named Sherman and explain that Blair was in town. Sherman then asked if Blair had flipped, to which Willard replied 'Not quite', which had Blair even more confused than ever, and not a little afraid.

 _What the hell did he mean by 'flip?_ Blair wondered.

When Cates returned to the room he offered Blair a drink, which he gratefully accepted. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

"Sherman will join us shortly, but in the meantime let me tell you a little about our town," Willard began as he sat back down.

*-*

"So I'm the illegitimate son of the alpha male of a pack of Skinwalkers?" Blair asked several hours later.

"Kick in the head, ain't it?" Sherman began but stopped when Blair shook his head and smiled. Sherman Blackstone had joined them about half an hour into the conversation and had helped to explain Blair's heritage.

"No, actually, a lot of things are starting to make sense," Blair said. Like the reason his spirit guide was a timber wolf, not a jungle animal like Jim's. "What I don't understand is why all this is happening to me now."

"Oh? Some Shaman you are," Blackstone said derisively, making Blair start.

"How do you know…"

"That you're Shaman of the Great City, Guide to the Sentinel who's sat out in your Volvo, probably listening to this entire conversation?" he answered with a grin. "Lucky guess."

Blair studied him for a moment and then came to a realisation.

"You have power," he said. It was a statement, not a question, and Blair wasn't sure where the certainty came from. He'd never actively tried to use the Shamanic gifts Incacha had bestowed on him, never tried to research it. Never even really thought about it, beyond the occasional wisecrack to Jim. But from now on he'd definitely be taking more of an interest.

Blackstone merely nodded.

"Wait, are you saying a human has heard this entire conversation?" Willard demanded, suddenly angry and on his feet.

"Relax, boss man. The Sentinel will keep our secrets, just as we'll keep his. Isn't that right, Detective Ellison?" Sherman said. Blair looked up to see Jim standing in the doorway; he must have come into the house when he heard Blackstone mention the Sentinel.

"I've no intention of telling anyone anything," he answered. "I could never betray Blair like that."

The warmth and conviction in Jim's voice filled Blair with a joy and love that he'd never felt before and yet again he was reminded how lucky he was to have a friend like Jim Ellison. Even if friendship was all he could have.

Willard scrutinised Jim for a few minutes then, seemingly satisfied, he offered Jim a chair.

"Am I going to flip?" Blair asked, returning to their original topic. "Is that's what's happening to me? Didn't you say that it would kill anyone who didn't flip as a teen?"

As the panic rose in Blair he suddenly felt a comforting warmth and he looked down to find Jim had placed a hand over his. Smiling weakly, Blair gratefully took the offered hand.

"I'd lay even-odds you won't. I just think recent events have made your inner wolf stronger," Sherman answered, although the sage-like effect of his words was somewhat lessened when he suggestively waggled his eyebrows. "You may develop a few other traits; increased libido, bad temper, fierce loyalty…"

Jim laughed.

"He's always had those," he said so Blair poked him playfully.

"…telepathy," Sherman added. At the sceptical looks from both Blair and Jim, Willard smiled.

"Not with just anyone, only with your pack. It's the only way we can communicate in Wolven form," he explained. _Wrong kind of vocal cords_ , he added mentally and Blair was shocked to find he heard him.

Blair nodded to indicate his understanding. He was about to ask another question when the clock on the mantle caught his eye.

"Jeez, look at the time! I'm sorry; you don't want to be talking to me all night. Jim, we should go find ourselves a room in town."

"Please, stay here," Cates said before Jim could reply.

"That's very generous of you, sir," Jim began to protest.

"Nonsense. I want to get to know my son. And I'm sure you want to meet Ruby and Luke, talk to them. I insist."

Blair nodded eagerly, so Willard led them upstairs to a guest room with twin beds. He invited them to join the family for dinner, and then left them to their own devices.

*-*

Dinner was a little awkward; Ruby, Luke and Cates' wife Vivian were wary of the newcomers, but the Sandburg charm helped and by the end of the evening they were all happily chatting with him.

Jim watched with affection as Blair connected with his family. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen him so happy. And a happy Sandburg made for a happy Ellison.

It was quite late when everyone finally went to bed, but even then Sandburg was unable to sleep. He lay in bed excitedly going over everything that had happened, dissecting it with his anthropologist's eye. Jim just dialled down his hearing and eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next day Jim spent exploring the woods around Wolf Lake while Blair continued his quality time with his family. All too soon it was time for them to hit the road; they had to be back at work in the morning. Jim could see that Blair wanted to stay, but he eventually said goodbye to his father with the promise that he'd come for a longer visit as soon as he was able.

Given his own tenuous relationship with his father, Jim was amazed to find that he was less cynical than he'd have thought with regards to Blair and Cates connecting. Perhaps it was an indication of how much he loved Sandburg he mused as they walked back to the car.

Blair gave him another of those odd looks again then, so he stuffed down the thoughts and got into the Volvo.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jim, do me a favour and spot me, will you?" Blair asked as Jim entered the apartment.

Jim took in the barbell and training bench that Blair had set up where the couch normally resided and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"A full Skinwalker is far stronger than a human. I want to see what I can do," Blair explained.

"As long as you're not experimenting on me for a change, I'm happy to help," Jim replied with a grin as he walked over.

While Blair was lifting, Jim took the chance to surreptitiously admire the leaner, more muscular Sandburg that had developed in recent weeks. His t-shirt was clinging to him with sweat and with Jim's Sentinel vision he could take in every nuanced curve and count every bead of sweat.

He followed the trace of his neck muscles up to his face, his gaze resting on those amazing blue eyes and Jim was shocked to find Blair was staring back at him. There was suddenly an almost palpable tension between them, and Jim was very aware that he was inches from his friend's face. All he had to do was lean down and plant a kiss on those perfect lips. Jim actually felt himself leaning forward, and he could have sworn that Blair seemed to be rising to meet him halfway.

That was when the barbell slipped in Blair's hand.

"Oh, shit, Chief, I'm sorry," Jim said as he grabbed the bar and hoisted it onto the safety of the rest.

"No, my fault. Wasn't concentrating," Blair replied, rubbing his collarbone as he sat up and turned to look at Jim. For a brief moment Jim thought he saw a guilty look in the younger man's eyes, but then it was gone.

"Guess we found your limit," Jim said, half-joking. He looked at the weights. "Pretty impressive."

Blair was able to bench press 300lb. Not exactly World Record material, but for a man of his size and build it was indeed impressive. His reflexes and stamina had also improved dramatically. Jim had been worried about how Sandburg would cope with the physical and combat courses at the academy but he had no such worries now. Now the only problem would be holding back enough not to raise any suspicion.

"Man, if I were a full-blood Skinwalker…" Blair began.

"Are you sorry you're not?" Jim asked him. Blair immediately shook his head.

"Are you kidding me? I mean, turning into a wolf would be cool, but from what Willard explained to me, if I flipped my life would be, like, over. The pack are never allowed to leave Wolf Lake; it would mean the end of our partnership, the whole Shaman thing, my doctorate, everything," Blair explained. "No, man, I got the best deal all round. All of the benefits but none of the drawbacks."

"Oh, I don't know, Chief. Your temper could use some work," Jim replied with a grin.

*-*

Jim was able to leave the precinct early for a change, but it was still early evening when he got back to the apartment. Despite the gathering gloom he could see Blair was standing on the balcony, staring out across the city.

"Something wrong, Chief?" Jim asked as he joined him.

"Storm's coming," he replied. "Guess my inner wolf doesn't like it."

"That figures. I'm thinking jaguars don't like thunder much either, because my skin is crawling with all the static," Jim said with a grin. Blair looked up at him and returned the grin before returning his gaze out to the city.

He leaned into Jim and, well, _nuzzled_ him. Jim probably should have been more fazed by the action, but since accepting his Wolven heritage, Sandburg had become a lot more touchy-feely, and not just when Jim zoned out. And Jim had been forced to accept that he really liked it. In fact, he liked this new Sandburg a lot, a fact that he was taking great pains to try and hide from his partner.

So far Blair had been too preoccupied with learning his limitations and prepping for the Academy. But one day Blair was going to notice that instead of the calming influence it used to be his touch caused Jim's heart to beat just that little faster. And given that his hearing was now as good as Jim's that day was probably going to be sooner rather than later. And then Jim could wave goodbye to everything they had.

Jim bit down the traitorous thoughts; they were petty and unfair to Sandburg. Sure, Blair was only into women and would never think of Jim that way, but he would never break up their friendship just because Jim was attracted to him.

 _No, he'll probably just explain it as some Sentinel reaction to 'hyper-intense Skinwalker pheromones' and offer to talk me through it_ , Jim thought bitterly.

"Huh? Did you say something?" Blair asked, reminding Jim of his presence. Jim shook his head.

"Not a word, Chief," he said. _But I did think something_ , he added to himself, slightly worried as he remembered all the times that Blair had seemed to read his mind lately.

Suddenly Blair was backing away toward the door of the apartment, his face a mixture of confusion and excitement.

"Oh, man!"

"Sandburg, what is it? What's wrong?"

 _Nothing's wrong, Jim. Something amazing's happened!_ Jim heard Blair's voice as clearly as if he'd spoken aloud, but he'd watched him the whole time and his lips never moved.

"What the hell?" he muttered, bringing a hand to his temple. Blair laughed.

"Don't you see what's happening? Willard told me I'd probably develop a telepathic connection to my pack. But not the pack at Wolf Lake because, Jim, _you're_ my pack," Blair explained excitedly, walking back inside the apartment. Confused, Jim followed.

"But I'm not a Skinwalker," he pointed out.

"No, that's true," Blair agreed. _But there's no denying this is happening_ , he added and Jim could feel the amusement in his thoughts.

"Stop that!" Jim said. "And it's not funny."

Blair nodded and began pacing the room, thinking. Jim recognised the pattern from hours watching Sandburg work on his dissertation, or on a tricky part of a case, so he stood back and watched his partner's brain work.

"Maybe… okay, this is a bit out there, but like you said, when it comes to our animal guides… Remember what I said about how maybe some of your jaguar could have been transferred to me when you brought me back?" he asked but then continued without waiting for a response, "Well, what if it worked both ways, transferred some of the wolf to you? We have a connection, on a spiritual level, which neither of us fully understands," Blair continued, talking animatedly in the manner that he reserved for teaching and pontificating his theories. A manner that Jim found to be very endearing.

Blair stopped and looked at him askance.

"What?"

"You find that endearing?" he asked. Jim flushed.

"You would pick up on that," he muttered before holding up a hand. "Look, Sandburg, I don't really care why this is happening; I just want to know what we can do about it."

"Do? Are you kidding? We use it! Think about it, with a little training we might be able to communicate silently across great distances. We'll be unstoppable, partner!" he replied with a grin.

"Oh, swell. And in the meantime you pick up every intimate stray thought I have?" Jim asked. "I don't get enough privacy as it is, without you being in my head too!"

"Um, sorry, Jim. I thought you'd be cool with this," Blair said and a wave of hurt washed over Jim through their connection. Coupled with Sandburg's puppy dog eyes it was more than Jim could handle.

"Dammit, Sandburg! This is exactly what I mean. If we can't control this thing it could be a danger, not an asset," he said, but that just made Blair even more upset.

Jim grunted in frustration; as usual he was doing a bang up job of expressing his feelings. He needed to make Sandburg understand and his normal eloquent standards were just making things worse. Then he realised that he didn't need to be eloquent; the best way to explain was let Blair feel what he was feeling. This was a pivotal moment in their relationship and he needed Sandburg to realise exactly what tapping into his thoughts and feelings was going to mean.

He concentrated on Blair and tried to purposely trigger what he now realised he'd been doing by accident for weeks. He opened up all the bottled up emotions he had related to the Sentinel, to Blair and to everything that had been happening to them recently and sent it all to Sandburg.

Mother Nature apparently has a great sense of the dramatic, as the storm chose that moment to begin with a flash of lightning and crack of thunder directly overhead, causing both men to wince.

"Dial it down, Jim," Blair said in his Guide voice and Jim nearly laughed at how Sandburg could manage to think about his needs even in the middle of an argument.

 _See, this is why I love you so goddamn much_ , he thought and then instantly regretted it, knowing that the connection was still active and Blair had heard that thought.

"You love me?"

"Yeah, dumbass," Jim practically growled and he closed the distance between them. Blair didn't flinch or step back, instead he stared up into Jim's eyes.

"You love me," he repeated and this time Jim did laugh.

"Aren't you supposed to be the educated one with the large vocabulary?" Jim pointed out.

Blair seemed to have an internal debate with himself for a few seconds and then he literally pounced on Jim, grabbing the bigger man by the neck and pulling his head down for a crushing, bruising kiss that quickly melted into a soft and passionate embrace.

 _Love you too_ , Blair sent with a tidal wave of love and passion and lust that nearly knocked Jim off his feet. _So now who's the dumbass_? he added with gentle amusement.

Jim pulled back and stared down into Blair's eyes.

"Guess we both are," he said before he pulled him in for another kiss.

They were suddenly interrupted by the phone ringing. Jim pulled away from Blair to answer it, but the younger man used his newfound strength to pull Jim back into his arms.

"Don't answer it," Blair said in a commanding way as he leaned up towards Jim's mouth.

Jim was sorely tempted to listen, but he looked over Blair's shoulder to the caller ID and his shoulders sagged.

 _It's Simon_ he thought as Blair's lips reached his. _C'mon, Chief, it's probably important,_ he added gently as he pushed Blair away again.

"Way to kill the mood," Blair muttered with a pout and in his head Jim heard a wolf growl, but Blair stepped back and allowed him to answer the phone.

"Hi Simon."

" _Hi Jim. I'm just calling to let you know some good news_ " Simon said. Jim tried to detect some note of sarcasm in Simon's tone, but he found none.

"Well that makes a nice change," Jim replied. Simon chuckled.

" _Yeah, well I thought you'd want to hear this. The Jags are making an anti-drugs commercial and they want it to be a friendly game with Cascade PD. Or, more precisely, Major Crimes_ ," Simon explained.

"That sounds great, Simon," Jim answered at the same time as Blair sent,

 _Oo, can I play_? proving that he'd been listening in to the conversation.

 _It's rude to eavesdrop_ , Jim chided; although the effect was probably lessened by the amusement he was feeling and he knew Blair would pick up.

 _Never stopped you_ , he countered. Jim grinned.

"Um, sorry, Simon, must have zoned for a second. What did you say?" Jim covered, realising that Simon had been talking during his silent exchange with Sandburg. Jim glared at his partner, who just poked his tongue out.

"I said you're on the starting lineup," Simon repeated. Blair gave Jim those puppy dog eyes again and clasped his hands together in the universal gesture of begging.

"What about Sandburg? He played all-city and I've seen him in action, he's actually pretty good," Jim said.

" _I don't know Jim, the insurances_ …"

"Come on, Simon, he's one of the guys. Hell, it won't be long before he's a cadet," Jim pointed out.

" _True_ " Simon conceded and then sighed. " _Alright, I'll see what I can do_."

Blair punched the air and did a little happy dance as Jim said goodnight to Simon and hung up the phone.

"Now then, where were we?" Jim asked as he took a step nearer to Blair. Sandburg stopped dancing and regarded him critically.

"Hm, I think I was here…"he answered and wrapped his arms around Jim's waist, pressing himself into him. As he did, they heard another growl, this time from Blair's stomach. Blair laughed, embarrassed.

"Sounds like your inner wolf his hungry for more than just me, Chief," Jim pointed out with a grin. He gently pushed Blair back, the mood almost completely broken. "You order Chinese, I'll take a shower. We'll eat, we'll talk and then…"

He pulled Blair in close again and kissed him hard, grinding his pelvis into him before letting go and heading for the bathroom. His progress was hindered by the hard-on pressing against his jeans and Jim almost turned back until he caught a stray thought from Blair that made it worth it.

 _Cocktease_.

Grinning like a Cheshire cat Jim entered the bathroom and shut the door.

Twenty minutes later, Jim heard the door and, thinking it was the Chinese, he finished up in the shower and dried himself. Wrapping a towel around his waist he exited the bathroom.

"I hope you didn't over order the rice again, Chief…" he began, but trailed off when he saw Blair.

Sandburg was standing in the middle of the room in his cadet uniform. He finished fixing the tie before he raised his arms and did a pirouette. It was possibly the sexiest thing Jim had seen.

"It just arrived, I had to try it on," Blair explained. "What do you think?"

 _I think I want to rip that off you and screw your brains out_ , Jim thought at the same time as he joked aloud "You'll need to lose the earrings."

Blair licked his lips, unsure what to say. Clearly he'd heard Jim's thought.

"We're definitely going to have to learn how to dial that down," he said with a nervous chuckle. "You're right; it could prove a dangerous distraction in the field."

Jim looked again at Blair in his uniform, but this time, with what he'd just said, it was a bucket of cold water instead of the previous turn-on. There was no way they could continue as partners and be lovers.

"What the hell are we doing, Sandburg? This is crazy," Jim said with a shake of his head. A wave of hurt washed over him from Blair. "No, I mean, come on, you have to admit this is all kind of sudden and out of character."

Blair looked thoughtful for a moment.

"You mean this might just be pheromones or something?" he asked, trying to sound like an objective and rational observer, but Jim could feel his hurt and disappointment.

"Maybe, yeah," Jim agreed. "Look, I definitely love you, I'm not trying to take that back. And I've loved you for a long time now. But maybe this physical attraction is just pheromones, or maybe it's because of this mental link," he suggested.

"You might have a point," Blair conceded. "I have to admit that I've only been thinking of you like this since you brought me back. So what do you want to do about it? Act like this afternoon never happened and hope it wears off?"

Jim shook his head and took a step closer.

"We both know ignoring it is a bad idea and would probably just be more of a distraction in the long run. I think we should accept that this is probably a short term thing and let it play out," he said and gently grasped Blair around the waist, pulling him close.

"Careful, Jim, you'll crease the uniform," Blair joked but he was already wrapping his own arms around the bigger man.

"Really don't care right now," Jim replied.

*-*

Blair let out the breath he'd been holding for the last few minutes. He didn't think he could go back to the way things were before and if Jim had suggested that he didn't know what he might have done.

There was of course a probability that Jim was correct; that perhaps the awakening of Blair's nascent Skinwalker DNA had caused a shift in his pheromones that had made his Sentinel react this way. It was equally likely that his own Wolven instincts had made him react to the attraction he sensed from Jim.

But he didn't think so.

Jim was certainly right about one thing; they loved each other. It may have been a platonic love up until recently, but there was no denying that they had loved each other deeply for some time now. Was it really so ridiculous that it might become more of its own accord?

They were both in virgin territory here (no pun intended) but that was true for a great deal of their relationship. They'd been finding their way without a compass since day one. It seemed far more likely to Blair that they had fallen in love with each other.

But he could understand Jim's reticence to accept this development. He'd just have to work extra hard to make him see the truth. Blair knew that this was where he was meant to be, wrapped in Jim's safe and warm embrace, and if his Sentinel was going to take some time to come to the same realisation then he could find the patience.

Closing his eyes, Blair leaned into Jim, burying his head against his chest, and filled his senses with him; the deep musk of his scent, lightly masked by the fresh smell of soap. Jim shuddered as he pressed against him and Blair felt a wave of pleasure from him.

"If we're going to do this, Chief, it has to stay in the apartment. There are rules against fraternization," Jim said sternly as Blair leaned against his bare chest. "If the department found out, Simon would have no choice but transfer one of us," he continued.

Unfortunately, the gravitas of his words was somewhat lost on Blair, who had just opened his eyes and realised that he was exactly the right height to lick Jim's nipples. At the thought of those three words together it was all Blair could do not to burst out laughing; best he could manage was to grin and then begin to kiss Jim's chest.

"Not outside the apartment. Check," he answered between kisses.

"I…uh…" Jim stammered, then let out a moan of pleasure. _Fuck!_

Blair pulled back with a wicked grin on his face.

"Yes please."

*-*


End file.
